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Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) defensive tackle Thomas Holley, one of the top New York prospects in the Class of 2014, flipped his verbal commitment to Florida after Bill O'Brien left Penn State.
(Mike Greenlar | Syracuse.com)

Witter, recruited by quarterbacks coach Tim Lester, was one of the top running back targets on the SU board. He visited campus in late July and had Cuse in his top three along with Missouri and Rutgers. That Witter is similar in stature and style to current running back commit Erv Philips is probably no coincidence.

Ollison is more Jerome Smith than Erv Philips, and the opportunity to come in and compete for early playing time was part of the pitch when he took an unofficial visit to Syracuse in May. Toting an impressive offer sheet with several Big Ten schools, Ollison opted for cross-division rival Pittsburgh.

Holmes is the son of former Syracuse defensive back David Holmes and played for football power St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Corey had a solid relationship with offensive coordinator George McDonald, but even his dad's strong ties to the school did little to put SU among the leaders for his services.

Syracuse has coveted big-bodied, athletic playmakers in the passing game this recruiting cycle to create mismatches. Benzschawel fell in that grouping, and the Wisconsin native was at one time committed to Syracuse. Wisconsin was his dream school, and once the Badgers offered a scholarship, SU was left looking elsewhere.

The Weeki Wachee (Fla.) native visited Syracuse briefly in June, and recruiting director Eric White tweeted a picture of an apple in the middle of the Manley Field House turf in an apparent nod to the big offensive tackle's presence. Applefield rarely mentioned Syracuse as a school he was seriously considering, and he enrolled early at Rutgers.

Burke could have been another key to unlocking a pipeline to Philadelphia, as he hails from talent-laden Coatesville High School. Syracuse projected Burke at linebacker, and part of its pitch to him was the opportunity to come in and compete for early playing time given the departure of middle linebacker Marquis Spruill. Burke steered his recruitment toward local schools and ended up at Maryland.

Syracuse had to go into scramble mode when Rodney committed to Wake Forest a week after visiting Syracuse in late mid-January. Distance played a significant factor in Rodney choosing the Orange's divisional opponent.

Cabinda was Syracuse's first commit after it officially joined the ACC, but he flipped to Penn State in October following an impressive visit during the four-overtime victory against Michigan and a replenished scholarship allotment. Syracuse only recently filled Cabinda's spot with Georgia linebacker Jonathan Thomas.

Washington, it seems, only entered the picture late, taking an official visit to Syracuse last weekend. Another prospect from the talent-rich area of Miami, Washington announced on Twitter he was attending division foe Louisville before boarding a flight out of Syracuse.

Follow Nate Mink on Twitter @MinkNate or email him at nmink@syracuse.com.